The New Recruit
by jdwhovian
Summary: What happens when a young S.H.I.E.L.D. agent has to lead a new recruit on a hugely dangerous mission? Rated T for minor violence/language. Updated every Monday.
1. Chapter 1

Pauly ran and ran, not knowing or exactly caring where she was going. "Spider Monkey to Eagle! Do you have visual? Over!" she shouted into her radio as she ran headlong through the forest, but, at the same time, not as loudly as the thing chasing her.  
"Visual is fuzzy, but we have it for the moment," replied Eagle, voice crackling.  
"Well then, drop a rope in here and help me GET THE HECK OUT! Over," she said, tearing through vines at high speed.  
"You're going too fast! I'll try to turn a bit, then you follow me and by then I'll have a rope down. What do you say?"  
"I say that's a crazy idea, but seeing as the creature's gaining, I'll do whatever to get away! Over." Pauly crashed through, listening to directions over the radio until a rope hit her in the head and she grabbed it, soaring upwards as the rope was hauled into the copter.  
"You know, you don't have to say 'over' at the end of every sentence on the radio, right?" said Natasha Romanoff, also known as the Black Widow, as she helped Pauly unload her backpack.  
"Yes, but just give me this one thing, okay?" Pauly unbuckled the last buckle on her backpack and peeled off the straps, massaging her shoulders. "Gosh dang that was heavy."  
"What did you go in to get? And what was chasing you?" said Hawkeye. Clint Barton, Pauly had to admit, was, in her mind, her most attractive coworker, although she would never admit it to anyone.  
"Well, I'm not exactly sure. They just told me to go in and get it from that old Aztec temple. So I did, then that crazy money-bear thing jumped out and started chasing me!"  
"Well, whatever it is, it must be pretty important or SHIELD wouldn't sent their top three operatives in to get it," said Clint from the cockpit.  
Pauly suddenly got very shy and looked at her mud-caked boots. "Oh, I'm not sure about that," she said, scuffing her feet against the floor of the helicopter.  
"Oh come on, give yourself some credit!" Natasha said, slapping Pauly in the shoulder nicely.  
"You may have gotten in to the agency just because of who your father is," said Clint, steering the copter over the jungle.  
"But you have proven yourself capable, more than once, of being a more than competent agent and going above and beyond your duties as an agent!" Natasha continued.  
"You are amazing, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise, or I'll go after them and smack them so hard. Also, don't you ever think that, or I'm gonna have to smack you!" Clint balled up one hand and punched it into his other hand.  
"Hands on the wheel, Clint," Natasha reminded him. "But he's right! You are one of the most amazing, upbeat, and caring person I have ever met." She moved in to hug Pauly, who was feeling overwhelmed by the sudden flow of affection and had started sobbing.  
Suddenly the video screen in the copilot area flickered on. Agent Phil Coulson appeared on screen. "Hello? Anyone there?"  
Natasha hurried to the copilot seat, Pauly right behind her with tears still running down her cheeks, albeit not as quickly as they had been.  
"We're all here, present and accounted for, along with the 084." Nat smiled.  
Coulson did not. "Well, it took you long enough. No more detours. Make the trip as quick as possible. Oh, and Pauly?" he said.  
"Yes?" she answered, wiping her nose.  
"Stop crying. There's no reason to cry." His voice was softer, not as firm as usual.  
"Yes, Dad," she muttered, again wiping her nose, as his video flickered out.


	2. Chapter 2

The rest of the trip back to HQ went fairly smoothly, the only things breaking up the tedious monotony of the conversation were minor spots of turbulence.  
When they finally landed at the Hub, Phil Coulson was waiting for them.  
"Well, took you long enough!" said Coulson, herding them towards the main building.  
"Why are you pushing us?" asked Pauly, wrenching her arm out of her dad's vice-like grip. "We can walk for ourselves, you know."  
"I'm not sure I can," said Clint in an uncharacteristic bout of humor, pretending to fall all over the place.  
"Well, he can't, but the rest of us can," said Nat, rolling her eyes, "but Pauly's right. Why are you in such a hurry?"  
"Someone's been waiting for you" was his only reply.  
"Oh." Pauly sighed. That usually happened, people needing to be in meetings with Clint and Natasha almost constantly, leaving Pauly no friends to hang out with.  
Coulson read her expression. "No, no. You misunderstand me. Someone's waiting for you," he said, pointing at Pauly's chest.  
"Me?" Pauly asked incredulously. "Why would anyone want to talk to me?"  
"I guess you'll find out when you get there," said Coulson, wigging his eyebrows. He enveloped Pauly in a hug, then said "Meet me in Conference Room B in about 15 minutes," then headed off in another direction.  
"What was that about?" asked Clint, staring off at Coulson, talking to another agent.  
"Pauly didn't know, but she tried not to think about it. Since she was 15 and technically still supposed to be in school, she had a tutor here at the Hub, but once every couple months, someone from the local school system visited and evaluated her. She hated it.  
She didn't say any of that, though. Instead, she said, "I don't know, but it sounded important. Hey, I'm gonna go use the loo, then head to the meeting, so I'll catch up with you guys, okay?"  
"Sure, sounds great! Text either of us when you get out, okay?" asked Clint.  
"See you later, sweetie!" Nat waved, linking arms with Clint and heading towards the cafeteria.  
Pauly stopped waving and put her hand down. She was not looking forward to this meeting, whatever it was about. She headed off to the restroom, still wondering what this surprise meeting could be about.

As she washed her hands, she looked at herself in the mirror. Blonde hair with some curl to it draped itself over one of her shoulders. A chin that didn't protrude very much below a mouth that some would consider perfect, not too small but not too big, with straight teeth. A nose she was proud of, not huge but not too small either. And, as she met her gaze in the mirror, she saw her best feature: her eyes. They were an intense blue color that was about the same shade as ice. As she dried her hands, she thought about her mom, who looked very much like her.  
She pushed those thoughts out of her head, as those thoughts usually caused her to cry and she didn't want puffy, red eyes for her meeting.  
She walked across the bulding, trying to make it to Conference Room B in time for her meeting. She made it on time, walking in just as her dad did.  
"Alright, what was I called here for, Dad?" she asked impatiently.  
"There's someone I want you to meet."  
"Oh, here we go again, thought Pauly. Another school representative.  
Coulson opened the door, and in came a boy in his late teens.  
"I'd like you to meet your new partner."

* * *

**A/N: New chapter! Lemme know what you think and if I should change anything!**


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